


There’s Many Ways to Say ‘I Love You’

by AFFLXENZA



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 5 Things, 5+1 Things, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Has ADHD, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence, Not Really Character Death, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, dont let that scare you no one actually dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29905587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFFLXENZA/pseuds/AFFLXENZA
Summary: Keith has no idea what it means to love someone else, so when Lance tells him how he feels, Keith has to find other ways to express himself.orThe five times Lance tells Keith he loves him and the first time Keith says it back.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Kudos: 17





	There’s Many Ways to Say ‘I Love You’

{1}

The moment itself was straight out of a movie, Lance truly couldn't have found a better time. The bedroom the two of them had been sharing was dark, creating an intimate atmosphere and it filled Lance with the feeling that had been bubbling up for weeks. Keith was curled into the blue paladin comfortably, his even breaths letting Lance know his guard was completely down.

"Hey Keith," Lance finally sounded out into the previously silent room. He shuffled slightly in Lance's arms to look up at his boyfriend. Lance smiled down at him endearingly, every bit of those feelings rising into the boy's chest. "Can I kiss you?"

"Since when did you start asking?" Keith spoke lightheartedly, sleepiness evident in his voice. Lance didn't need to be told twice and immediately began leaning down to capture Keith's lips in a tired kiss. The kiss was soft, not unlike the many kisses they've shared before, and yet it still managed to make Lance's heart flutter.

"I'm so terrified of fucking this up," Lance whispered against Keith's lips as they both pulled away, still close enough for Lance to feel Keith's warm breath mix with his own. Lance didn't remove his hand from the boy's cheek, instead simply taking the time to rub his fingers over every indent and mark. He took note of the slight indentions in the other boy's rough skin, possibly old acne scars, or most likely evidence of the battles the two of them share almost every day to save the universe.

"I really don't think you could at this point," Keith insisted leaning into Lance's touch giving the other more opportunity to memorize every dip and mark that scattered over his uncared for skin. There used to be a time where Lance would have judged the other for leaving his face so neglected and uncared for. Over time though, the judgment morphed into a feeling Lance could only describe as a fascination. 

Keith had always been a guarded person for a multitude of reasons and Lance knew that. He wouldn't let people see his weaknesses, didn't let them see his flaws in any defenseless state. His skin didn't lie though, it held many secrets but also told a vast amount of stories about where it had been.

It was much different than his own skin that he covered with countless products to keep smooth and without flaw. In Lance's mind, he often compared the two of them, thinking of Keith's skin as a child's comfort item, scuffed and dirty from years of protecting. His own skin was more like a memento that someone kept in a safe place, keeping it clean and taken care of. Both were beautiful in their own way but of course, Lance much preferred the stories that came with waking up next to Keith's beautiful and perfectly flawed skin.

"I love you so much," Lance finally admitted into the intimate air the two had created. He watched Keith's features intently as they contorted from comfort to shock and eventually fear. He could feel the way Keith's body stiffened immediately, and as an immediate reaction, he tensed as well.

After a brief moment of silence in which the two of them allowed Lance's declaration to linger in the air unanswered, Keith finally shambled his way out of the other's grasp to sit up all way. He didn't reply at first and Lance didn't try to force him to either. He rather opted to observe the other in concern not wanting to have pushed any nonestablished boundaries.

"I- uh, Fuck," Keith finally stuttered out breaking the deafening silence that Lance's confession created. He covered his face with his hand, indicating to his boyfriend that he was feeling vulnerable. 

"Hey baby, it's okay, I didn't mean to cause you unnecessary stress. You don't have to say a thing," Lance comforted immediately. The last thing Lance wanted to do was force Keith into taking things too fast. He was very much aware of the walls that Keith had carefully crafted over the years to keep himself from getting hurt.

"It's not that it's just something else," Keith admitted looking away from Lance. Lance took note of his boyfriend's position, a light pink dusted his cheekbones, his hands were clenched tightly in his lap, and his eyebrows furrowed into deep thought. Lance dared to think he looked- gorgeous, but he pushed the thought away immediately not wanting to be concerned with anything else but taking care of the boy in front of him.

"How about we just lay down for now and when you're ready to tell me what it is you have to say, I'll give you my unwavering attention," Lance spoke with reassurance and his statement awarded him with a soft smile. He watched as Keith's body slumped back down, indicating he was allowing himself to not put up those walls that Lance seemed to constantly run into.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, we both know there's a bottle of Adderall laying on some bedside table back on Earth," Keith chuckled teasingly and Lance laughed lightly grabbing a pillow to lightly hit Keith in the side with it. Keith responded immediately, grabbing a said pillow and tackling Lance, landing on his chest.

"We both know that ADHD has nothing on you," Lance responded smugly, placing a light kiss on Keith's lips. It lasted only a millisecond but his boyfriend wasn't having it and leaned in himself, kissing Lance with abandon.

Lance's body responded before his brain even had the time to process and kissed Keith back with just as much vigor. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but the feeling of Keith's hands on his chest was addicting and he didn't take the time to question it. Eventually, Keith pulled away to look Lance in the eyes briefly before he lowered his mouth toward the boy's jaw, peppering small kisses all over. 

Lance smiled in response, relishing in the feeling of Keith's skin on his own. Keith's movements began to slow as he dragged his top lip downward on Lance. He placed a few more light kisses questioningly before he opened his mouth fully and began to lick and suck down his chest. Lance hummed in response and rubbed his hands up and down Keith's sides.

After a few moments, Keith moved back up, once again paying close attention to Lance's lips. Lance wasn't sure where the attention and affection were coming from but he let the other do his work. Normally, he would do more to also give Keith what was being given to him. But something about the moment was so fragile and private that he just let Keith do what he felt.

"Lance," Keith muttered against, his lips breathlessly. Lance didn't respond just moved his hand to get rid of some stray hair from Keith's face. "Say something."

"You're so beautiful," Lance responded, and he was. Lance couldn't see a lot in the dark but what he could see was Keith's dark eyes focused on nothing but him. He wasn't quite sure what emotions were swirling around on the inside of those orbs but he knew they were strong, and that was enough. Every kiss Keith laid upon his jaw, his mouth on the soft skin near his neck, and the feeling of Keith's tongue making its way down his chest also told him. 

"I feel so much for you Lance," Keith finally admitted, shoving his face into Lance's shoulder. He moved into a more comfortable embrace before speaking again. "No one's ever told me they love me before, ever."

Lance's eyes widened in shock at the declaration Keith just laid before him. His memories drifted back to all the times the words had made their way from someone's mouth in his lifetime. It ached his heart as he remembered that Keith never had the life Lance was blessed with because the first people who came to his mind, were his family.

His life had been filled to the brim with love since the very beginning. It was his Mama's first words spoken to him every morning and every night. He recalled the many memories of his Papa telling him those three words every single day before he left for work. He'd been spoken the words so many times he couldn't recall all of them. The amount of times Hunk had spoken the words, 'i love you, buddy," he had no idea. The chorus of sounds that would ricochet from the house during holidays as his entire family visited made their way through his mind. 

Lance had had more than his fair share of 'i love yous.'

"What about Shiro," Lance questioned softly and unsurely. The two of them were so close, closer than he thought they had ever been. He couldn't imagine that the words weren't spoken between them before, even if it was just in a platonic sense.

"I admired Shiro, clearly, and yeah we have that sort of relationship but I guess we've just always left it... unspoken," Keith admitted softly sighing in content at the feeling of Lance drawing circles on his clothed back.

"I wish I'd met you sooner, been less of an idiot so I could have fallen in love with you earlier, " Lance whispered moving his hand under Keith's black shirt to feel the boy's burning skin instead. He had Keith memorized by now, not being thrown for a curve at all by the way his body felt like he was having a fever. Keith always ran several degrees too warm for his own good, both physically and mentally.

"I feel so much for you Lance, there are so many things that I can't identify and one of them might be love but I just I- I don’t know what love is and I’m sorry, ” Keith finally let out in a ramble. His arms tightened around Lance, possibly from anxiety, or maybe from the raw truth of it all. Lance wasn't sure which it was but he was sure that whichever emotion Keith was feeling he meant.

"It's okay baby, one of these days you’ll figure it out and you’ll just know. It will click and be so strong that you'll think to yourself, ‘holy shit that’s what love feels like,’ and your next thought will be of me because you’ll know that it's what I feel every single time I look at you, ” Lance spoke, his voice dripping with fondness. He kept his touch tender and soft, even though the urge to just flip the boy over and shower him in emotion was strong, he wanted the integrity of his words to shine through most.

“Yeah, I’m about a million times more likely to fuck this up than you are, ” Keith spoke light-heartedly, laughing into Lance. He took a hold of the hand that wasn't rubbing circles on his skin and gave it a light squeeze.

"I doubt that," Lance replied both with words and physically as he reciprocated the squeeze of his hand. “Go to sleep sweetheart, we can talk more in the morning.”

Keith hummed in response and turned his body more into Lance to get comfortable. Keith was the first to fall asleep, an occasion that occurred so rarely that it made Lance’s nerves light afire. 

Having Keith fall asleep in his arms was something so special to him. Keith was always so strong, so protected, but here he was trusting Lance enough to relinquish his barriers during his most weak and delicate state. It made Lance feel prideful to have the most powerful and brave person he’d ever known in his embrace. 

The presence of Keith’s sleeping form made him feel safe. He listened to his stable and careful breaths like a lullaby as they tried to lull him into sleep. He didn't allow the night to grab ahold of him and end yet though, wanting to admire everything about the boy just a little longer because in his arms was someone like he’d never known before. He was holding an orphan, a soldier, a rightfully assumed loner. Never did he think he's be holding his self-proclaimed rival but everything about it felt right. There was nothing more meaningful than being allowed to love the loneliest boy in universe and him being okay with that. Maybe one day, Keith would be confident enough to say he loved him back. 

The thought alone was enough to make Lance feel content- and so he allowed the sandman to take ahold of his consciousness as well.

3/7/21


End file.
